Marry me!"

The bar was quiet as I voiced those words. There was pin drop silence from everyone seated in the boot.

"What did you say?" Mason asked, his voice cold and stern.

I wasn't surprised by the coldness in his voice. After all, it was the reaction I had expected. But, I wasn't going to give up. It had taken me great effort to be able to finally meet him and there was no way I was going to let the opportunity pass by.

I smiled and looked him straight in the eyes repeating the same words I had said earlier.

"Marry me," I demanded.

Mason chuckled humorlessly as he gazed at me. He scanned my body with his cold dark eyes. His eyes laid me bare before him and I couldn't help but shiver inwardly. It was obvious why he was called the cold and vicious CEO in the whole of Chicago.

His voice alone caused shivers to run down my spine. He assessed me with the cruelty of a vicious beast and I found myself wanting to back up against a wall but thought not about it. There was no way I was going to give up now after coming this far.

Those who were seated around him mocked my action but I paid them no heed. I was a lady with a mission and I wasn't going to let the words of some foot-licking-puppies pull me down.

"Who let this crazy woman in here?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.

"I am sorry. It's my fault for not being able to stop her," his assistant said, rushing inside the room.

I rolled my eyes at his words, bored already with the expected action. It's not like they would have been able to stop me anyways.

Zughe Bar was a famous bar in the city. It was luxurious and only certain persons in the city were able to have access to it. This was one of the reasons why the security was top-notch. But that had been a simple challenge for me.

By-passing the security and getting to where I was, it had all been child's play for me. There was no way his assistant and guards could have seen me coming. I pity them anyways. They were going to be tasting the fury of their boss soon enough.

"They wouldn't have been able to stop me anyway," I muttered.

"What did you say?" He asked, his cold eyes flashing at me angrily.

I rolled my eyes, already getting tired of his static behaviour. "They wouldn't have been able to stop me," I repeated.

He snickered. "And why is that so?"

"Because I am a woman with a mission," I stated, firmly.

He stared at me deeply for a few seconds and I felt he was going to order his guards to take me out and hang me to death. But then he surprised me by bursting into a peal of loud laughter. Everyone who was seated around him was also surprised by his action. Finally being able to see him up close, I took in his features for the very first time as he laughed. There was only one word I could use to describe him.

Divine.

There was a reason why he was part of the top bachelors in the country. He looked immaculate. I believed God must have taken his time creating him because his beauty was beyond explanation. The only disadvantage was that all that beauty had been given to an arrogant and ruthless prick like him.

Thinking about it made me stop drooling over his beauty.

Did I say something funny? I asked myself inwardly, reality dawning on me that I was still laughed at.

"Hahaha… it's been a long time, I had a good laugh," he said.

"I never knew I was a comedian," I muttered.

"I never said you were," he replied.

"So what's funny?" I asked.

"Your fake courage amuses me. I can see you shaking like a little bunny before me but you refuse to flee," he replied.

Well, he wasn't wrong. I was indeed shaking like a bunny that had been caught in a deer trap. After all, I was requesting for one of the richest men in the city to marry me by interrupting his gathering.

"Well, you aren't wrong," I muttered.

"Leave us," he commanded.

I raised my head to gaze at him shocked by his command. His assistant walked towards me prepared to carry out the commands of his master.

"No, no, no…. I am not--"

"Stop, Max. I am referring to you and the others," he ordered.

"What?" His assistant and I shouted at the same time.

"You heard me," He replied.

"But… sir. We don't know if she is an assassin or a reporter," Max said.

"That was your duty and you failed to accomplish it."

"But…"

"No buts. Now leave, every one of you," he ordered.

"Yes Sir," his assistant replied, ushering everyone in the room out of it.

I was stunned by how he had dismissed everyone in the twinkle of an eye. This was how powerful Mason Cornell was. I have to tread carefully if I want to leave the place with my head intact, I advised myself.

"Sit down," he commanded, gesturing at the empty seat in front of me.

I willed my legs to move without shaking before sitting on the seat he had offered.

"Now, tell me. Who the fuck are you?" He asked, sitting uprightly.

'Oh shit,' I whispered.

~~~~~~

Mason's Pov

I ordered everyone to leave the bar and gestured for her to sit across from me. Indeed, I had been surprised by her courage to request such a thing from me. But, I knew she wasn't just an ordinary woman. There has to be something about her. She had been able to break through the security of the building, slip past my special guards and stand before me, all just to request that I married her.

There had to be something about her. The security of the building was the strongest in the whole of Chicago. This is why many people of my calibre prefer to frequent this bar. We could do whatever we want without bothering about the paparazzi or assassins. But, this tiny woman before me had been able to do that in the blink of an eye. I couldn't help but ask who she was

"Tell me who you are," I demanded.

She gulped. I could see she was scared but she stood before me bravely without making a run for it. Those who have heard of my ruthlessness wouldn't dare think of staying within my presence for barely five minutes spouting nonsense from their mouth. But, this lady had no fear.

No, she was scared but it seemed she had made her resolve. The force driving her to make such a request was strong indeed.

I looked closely at her, taking in her features. She looked to be in her early twenties and was putting on a dirty shirt that hung loosely on her body. The shirt did nothing to hide her thin frame and dark skin. Her eyes were red like the colour of a ruby which was unforgettable.

Her facial features were not that bad but unfortunately, there was an ugly birthmark plastered on her face. It ran from her eyebrows down to her cheek destroying the beauty of her face.

Wait a minute.

That birthmark.

I think I have heard of it.

"Who are you?" I asked again, my patience wearing out.

Suddenly, she smiled. Every trace of fear that I had seen in her before vanished. It seemed she had been replaced by another person in front of me.

"Hi, I'm Ruby Moore," she replied, holding out her hand for a handshake.

I snickered. "I see, you are the famous daughter of the Moore family," I said, not bothering to reciprocate the gesture.

"Wow, it seems you know about me already," she said.

"Is there anyone who doesn't know about the ugly child of the Moore's family?"

"Yeah…I guess everyone does know about me, the ugly and foolish daughter of the Moore's," she admitted, nonchalantly.

I cleared my throat, before asking. "Why?"

She looked at me surprised by my question and I rolled my eyes before asking again. "Why are you making such a stupid proposal?"

She said nothing but brought out a small bottle and placed it on the table before me. I looked at he like she was stupid.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Okay, give a minute to explain before you crucify me with your glare," she muttered.

"You know I could very well do more than that."

"Yes, but I don't think you would want to ruin the only chance you have at regaining your sense of smell again," she smirked.

Fuck, how did she know about that?

"Start speaking," I ordered.

"You are among the famous bachelor in the city and made your fortune from perfume. You are the only heir of the Cornel's corporation and you have lost your sense of smell. If word about it gets out, your company's stock will fall drastically. Am I right?" She asked, staring directly at me.

The fact that I had lost my sense of smell was top secret. But here this lady was telling me something that had been kept hidden from everyone.

"You know there's a possibility that you might not leave here alive after saying this?"

She laughed. "That's not going to happen," she said, boldly.

I chuckled. "You are confident, I see."

"Well, never mind about that. Smell this," she said, pushing the bottle toward me and uncapping it.

I was sceptical about the content in the bottle but the fragrance that spread across the room drew my attention.

How was it possible that I could smell something like this?

I sprang up from my seat, hoping to snatch the bottle on the table and sniff the contents but she was faster than me.

"Not so quick," she said.

I glared daggers at her, angry that she had snatched something precious from me. Point of correction, it was never mine, to begin with.

"What is in that bottle?" I asked.

"Perfume," she replied.

"I know that. Why am I able to perceive it?" I asked

She laughed. "You didn't even bring it close to you and you could perceive its contents. I did a good job then," she praised herself.

"Hand it over," I ordered.

"Ask nicely," she smirked.

I wasn't the type to say please but I knew if I didn't she wouldn't hand the bottle to me. I was curious about the contents. How was it possible that my organ of smell which had deteriorated was able to be brought back to life?

"Please, hand it to me," I said.

"That wasn't so hard was it?" She teased, handing the bottle to me.

I ignored her statement and quickly uncapped it, sniffing the contents.

I could perceive it. It had a medicinal fragrance. Soon enough, the room was filled with its scent. I sprayed a little of it on my wrist and sniffed closely just to be certain I wasn't hallucinating.

White root, mint, cloves, white weed, and aromatic vodka.

Bloody hell!

I could really smell it. It wasn't my nose playing tricks on me. My sense of smell was working.

"What did you add to this perfume?" I asked, excitedly.